Rundup Technology

Roundup Technology


Successful weed control in Roundup Ready® Maize merely requires the perfect combination of the right products such as Roundup® PowerMAX products - part and parcel of an unsurpassed weed control programme for maize.

Prevent weeds from suppressing crop growth: Roundup® brands – the stalwart in weed control


  • Roundup® – A very effective herbicide for general use.
  • Roundup® TURBO – Contains Transorb™ technology for faster absorption and translocation, and ensures rain fastness within two hours after spraying.
  • Roundup® PowerMAX – For post-emergence use as general spray (over the top) or directed spray on maize, cotton and soybean cultivars that contain the Roundup Ready® gene.
  • Roundup® WeatherMAX – The leading herbicide when it comes to weed control in forestry.
  • Roundup® MAX – For general use, granular product.

What is glyphosate?

Glyphosate is registered for use on more than 100 crops and is one of the most widely used herbicides in the world.


Who uses glyphosate?

Glyphosate (Roundup®) is used by large- and small-scale farmers as well as homeowners and horticulturists for the control of weeds. Glyphosate is widely used prior to planting crops in order for farmers to plant in a clean seed bed. It can also be used post-planting before crop emergence, as well as post-emergence on Roundup Ready® crops. These applications are possible because glyphosate residues in soil, shortly after applications at the recommended rates, do not affect crop growth because of the combination of the soil-binding capacity, product immobility and rapid degradation which are typical for glyphosate and quite unique when compared to other commercial herbicides.


Where is it used?

It is used in agriculture and forestry, on lawns and in gardens and to control weeds in urban and industrial areas.


Worldwide, the active ingredient, glyphosate, forms the cornerstone of weed management programmes on many farms where it provides flexibility to achieve efficient weed control. Roundup® also allows for easier adoption of conservation and no-till practices, both agricultural systems which are known to make substantial contributions towards sustainability in agriculture. Glyphosate (Roundup®) is registered for use on more than 100 crops worldwide.


Is it safe?

There is an overwhelming weight of scientific evidence that underscores the safety and performance of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup® herbicide. Based on an in-depth review of the comprehensive datasets available, regulatory agencies around the world have concluded that glyphosate is not a reproductive toxin or teratogen (cause of birth defects). There is also no evidence that glyphosate causes cancer, even at high doses. Because it is not genotoxic, it does not cause mutations that can lead to cancer.


Additionally, anecdotal results from the first-hand experience of millions of farmers and home gardeners who have used this product for decades indicate safe proper use. Studies have shown that glyphosate, when applied according to the instructions on the label*, is not harmful to soil insects, earthworms or microscopic soil organisms.


General Information

Roundup® (glyphosate) is effective in the control of grasses and herbaceous weeds. It is absorbed into the plant through its leaves and soft stalk tissue before being transported throughout the plant to the roots, nodules and bulbs. Glyphosate’s unique action in plants involves the inhibiting of a single enzyme only found in plants. Therefore, glyphosate only controls plants and not microorganisms or animals and insects.


As glyphosate is systemic, plants treated with glyphosate will slowly die over a period of days or weeks, and no part of the plant should survive. Glyphosate is rapidly inactivated when it comes into contact with soil since it is adsorbed onto soil particles and thus cannot be taken up by the roots.


As glyphosate is approved for the control of unwanted vegetation in aquatic environments, including sources used for drinking water, it is expected that glyphosate might occasionally be detected in surface water. However, it has not been included among herbicides that cause concern in water supplies, since glyphosate can readily be removed from water by conventional drinking water treatment methods (which include sand filtration and chlorination).


Because glyphosate binds tightly to most soils, it has a low potential to move through the soil to contaminate groundwater (USA EPA 1993).


Glyphosate residues in water resulting from wash-off from terrestrial applications of the herbicide, are typically seasonal and dissipate over time. In sediment, glyphosate is degraded over time by microorganisms.


The registration owner of Acceleron®, Bullet®, DEKALB®, Guardian®, Harness® Xtra, Intacta RR2 PRO®, Roundup Ready®, Roundup Ready® MAIZE 2, Roundup Ready PLUS®, Roundup® PowerMAX, Roundup Ready® Technology, Roundup® TURBO, Transorb®, YieldGard® and YieldGard® MAIZE 2, is Bayer AG. ​

Roundup® Reg. No. L0407. Contains 360 g glyphosate/ℓ. Warning. ​

Roundup® PowerMAX Reg. No. L7769. Contains 540 g glyphosate/ℓ. Warning. ​

Roundup® TURBO Reg. No. L7166. Contains 450 g glyphosate/ℓ. Warning. ​

Bullet® Reg. No. L5623. Contains 250 g Acetochlor (chloroacetanilide), 225 g Atrazine (triazine), 225 g Terbuthylazine/ℓ (triazine). Warning. ​

Guardian® Reg. No. L4862. Contains 840 g Acetochlor/ℓ (chloroacetanilide). Warning. ​

Harness® Xtra Reg. No. L7703. Contains 960 g Acetochlor/ℓ (chloroacetanilide). Danger.​

Pantera® and Silwet® are trademarks of UPL - SA. Pantera® Reg. No. L6451. Contains Quizalofop-P-tefuryl (aryloxy phenoxy propionate) (40 g/ℓ). Danger. ​

Pantera® is a selective post-emergent emulsifiable concentrated systemic herbicide for the control of certain annual and perennial grasses as well as Roundup Ready® volunteer maize. Silwet L-77® Reg. No. L6145. Contains Polyalkaleneoxide Modified Heptamethyltrisiloxane (1000 g/ℓ). Warning. Silwet® is a non-ionic organosilicone adjuvant for use with crop protection chemicals. ​

All the above products are registered under Act 36 of 1947. Read label before use.